


Klance - soulmate au

by DonnaRider



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: AU, M/M, Soulmate AU, Soulmates, klance, klance soulmate au, soulmate
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-18
Updated: 2018-04-02
Packaged: 2018-09-25 10:40:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,085
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9816230
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DonnaRider/pseuds/DonnaRider
Summary: It happens for the first time when he is five.He’s lying in bed with a cold, eating the chicken soup his mother made him, when he suddenly hears a bunch of children sing.Lance recognizes the song immediately. It’s one of those they make you sing in kindergarten. He drops his spoon into the bowl and calls for his mom excitedly.His soulmate must be around his age.





	1. Chapter 1

 

It happens for the first time when he is five.

He’s lying in bed with a cold, eating the chicken soup his mother made him, when he suddenly hears a bunch of children sing.

Lance recognizes the song immediately. It’s one of those they make you sing in kindergarten. He drops his spoon into the bowl and calls for his mom excitedly.

His soulmate must be around his age.

* * *

 

Keith almost falls off his bike from giggling.

He’s on his way home from school when his soulmate listens to some song about butts. It’s form him, he knows that.

It’s not what they usually listen to and it’s become kind of a habbit. They will listen to something with really weird lyrics at the most unexpected of times just to make Keith laugh. His parents find it a bit inappropriate at times but Keith doesn’t mind. He can feel his soulmate’s amusement each time and it makes him laugh even harder.

He likes to think about what his soulmate must be like. They mostly listen to pop-rock but sometimes classical music too. Keith likes it. It’s a nice contrast to his own undefinied taste in music. He also hears a lot of wedding and birthday songs so they must have a big family.

Their lives seem to be quite different but Keith likes to thinks that they complete each other.

* * *

 

Lance finds his soulmate’s taste in music weird. It’s not that he doesn’t like the songs, so far he liked all of them in some way. But there are so many different genres. He’s sure that his soulmate is one of those people who listen to everything as long as it sounds good in some way.

He keeps playlists. One playlist for every year since he turned 12. There are a lot of songs in them and they’re taking up a lot of memory but he refuses to delete anything.

* * *

 

When he’s 14 Keith is on edge. There have been no songs for over a week and he is starting to freak out. His soulmate usually listens to music every single day, so when there are no songs at all for that long… something must be very wrong, right?

He paces his room for hours before he finally can’t take it any longer. He sits down in front of his computer and searches for the right song. He plays it three times in a row so his soulmate will know to pay attention to the lyrics. The song has the words _Are you okay?_ in it’s chorus a couple of times and he’s sure they won’t miss the question. He starts to pace again but he still doesn’t hear anything.

The next day around noon he finally gets a responds. A song about apologizing that has the word _sorry_ in it at least a hundred times, followed by some song about camping.

He can breathe again and suddenly he feels ridiculous for being so worried. Even more so because he is sure that they felt his worry.

They just went camping for a week…

* * *

 

Lance is 16 and out with some friends. They are fooling around on their way to a diner after football practice. Someone made a bad pun and Lance is laughing so hard he has to hold his sides. They round the corner when the song starts.

Slow… dark… sad… It’s a funeral song.

And in this moment a wave of indescribable pain hits him so hard that he stumbles. His friends catch him and ask him what’s wrong but he can’t answer. He feels like he can’t breathe, like he’s drowning.

Someone is dead. Someone really important.

They are suffering and he can’t do anything to help.

He doesn’t eat anything at the diner.

* * *

 

Keith goes back to bed right after the funeral. He thanked everyone for coming and answered the questions as expected, said that he is doing okay, that he is dealing… he isn’t.

He feels so completely not okay that he doesn’t even know what to do.

His eyes wander to his iPod. Music is usually his number one comfort… but what do you listen to after something like this. When your whole world falls apart.

He stays in bed for the rest of the day. He doesn’t know what will happen to him now. He feels lost.

People come and go and try to talk to him but he ignores them all. Eventually they get the message and leave him alone.

He tries to sleep but he can’t. Of course he can’t. Would be to easy, wouldn’t it. Nothing is ever easy.

It’s around midnight when the voice starts to sing. It’s deep and quite, like a whisper at first. He doesn’t understand the words because they’re in Spanish. It doesn’t matter. He can feel what they mean. He can feel the pain… the concern… the comfort.

For the first time he knows someone truly cares and doesn’t just pretend because it is expected of them. For the first time someone is actually sharing his pain.

He starts to cry. For them… for himself. He cries for his dead parents.

The song is a lullaby.

* * *

 

The next day Lance is still worried. He doesn’t know if it was a good idea to sing to them but he wasn’t told to stop so maybe it actually helped them?

There is no music the whole day but he honestly didn’t expect anything else. He just hopes they’re okay. Well as okay as someone can be after the death of someone close.

He helps his mom with the garden for a few hours and then plays a bit with his younger sister to distract himself.

He feels restless the whole time and eventually his sister kicks him out of her tea party because he isn’t paying enough attention.

He flops down on his bed and calls Hunk. Because Hunk is good at comforting. Hunk gets why he is so on edge and he assures him that there is nothing he can do and that the lullaby was probably a good idea. He says to wait for them to respond in some way and to give them time until they do. So Lance does.

He doesn’t listen to music for the rest of the day. They probably don’t want to hear it. When he lies in bed later he wonders how their day was. What if they have no one to make sure they eat and drink. What if there is no one around to hug them, to hold them.

He’s going insane. He is about to throw his football at his computer screen out of frustration when he finally hears something.

_Do it again, just do it again._

His soulmate doesn’t even have to play the whole song for him to get the message. He drops the football into his lap and starts to sing the same lullaby as the night before.

* * *

 

His soulmate doesn’t stop singing the lullaby. He just continues his nightly comfort for weeks without Keith having to ask again. He is thankful for that. He is adjusting to everything slowly but he is still far away from being okay.

It has been a bit over a month now.

He takes the iPod from his nightstand and connects it to his computer. He sorts through the songs on it and deletes almost everything. He replaces the weird mix of everything with different songs. Songs with more depth, with meaning behind the lyrics. Some alternative-rock, some gothic stuff, some nu metal.

It isn’t necessarily because he is sad… which he still is of course…he just wants something structured and not some metal song followed by pop like before.

He feels like he can relate more to the new songs.

* * *

 

Lance turned 20 a week ago and is shopping for some new clothes after his last class at college for the day.

He’s pretty cheery. Things are going well. At college, at his job and especially with the soulmate.

They are planning on meeting sometime soon. There has been a lot of _I want to see you_ and _When we meet_ in the songs lately _._

And his soulmate is doing better every year. Lance still has to sing the lullaby sometimes but not that often anymore and he feels the other’s happiness more clearly with every song they listen to.

He passes some guy with a violin who’s playing for change next to a Starbucks. It’s something from the soundtrack of a new blockbuster. He doesn’t pay much attention because he’s busy texting Hunk about some homework for tomorrow’s class.

He’s about to enter the mall when he hears the violin player again. For a brief moment he thinks that the guy is following him but then he gets it.

Not he is hearing it.

He pushes his phone into his pocket and turns around as fast as he can. It’s only a few hundred meters back to the Starbucks. He runs. What if they leave.

There are a lot of people standing around and at first Lance thinks that there is no way he will find them without knowing what they look like.

But then he hears something over the violin… louder. As if he’s hearing it through an earbud. It’s one of those deep nu metal songs his soulmate likes so much. He checks if anyone around him is wearing earbuds. There are only a few elderly women chatting next to him and they aren’t listening to anything. Thank god!

He walks past them and gets closer to the violin guy when a movement catches his eye.

A guy with black hair, who’s standing right next to the Starbucks’ entrance with a paper cup in his hand. He’s looking around with a confused look… and he’s wearing an earbud in his left ear.

He’s cute. Really cute. And Lance doesn’t know how he does it but the guy has a mullet and he makes it look… hot?

Lance swallows before he finally starts walking towards him. This is not how he think it would happen but it’s fine with him.

He’s only a few steps away when the other notices him. He opens his mouth a little as he realizes who Lance is, or must be, and stares at him with a surprised expression.

Lance stops in front of him and smiles.

“Hey, emo boy.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyone interested in how this could continue?  
> I'm thinking about writing a part 2.  
> Tell me in the comments or on tumblr (donnarider.tumblr.com) if you would read more of this ;)


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo, remember how I said I was gonna write part 2 if people wanted to read more? Yeah…. I may or may not have accidently written much more than that. There will be more info below, just know that the end of this part is not the end of the whole fanfic.  
>  **"Bold"** texts are from Keith  
>  "Normal" texts are from Shiro  
> Hover over the Spanish text for translations. Additional translations below in case you’re having problems with that.

“Sooo…” Lance cleared his throat awkwardly “This is…”

“Weird?” Keith suggested. He pushed the paper cup on the table in front of him from side to side.

“Yes. Definitely weird.” Lance agreed. “I mean… not bad weird, just… unexpected weird? New weird? Totally-not-planned-like-this weird?” He bit his lower lip and tugged on the sleeves of his jacket nervously.

This wasn’t going great. They had just sat down inside the Starbucks they had met in front of and he was already making a fool of himself. This was all a bit too much for him. They had wanted to meet for a while now but surely not like this! Not completely unplanned. It had thrown Lance off track and he had no idea how to turn this around. He kept fidgeting with his sleeves and licked his lips nervously. Keith just sat there completely silent and played around with his coffee cup. Great. 5 minutes in and Lance was already less interesting to the guy than a cup of stupid coffee. He was about to start a desperate conversation about the weather when the girl behind the counter called for him to pick up his order.

“Be right back,” he mumbled before he almost sprinted off.

* * *

 

Keith was panicking. Hard. This was all too much and too fast. He knew that due to being his soulmate he would probably feel some kind of attraction towards Lance right from the start. But he still hadn’t been prepared for his brain’s reaction when the most beautiful boy he had ever seen started to walk towards him in front of the coffee shop. It was like his mind had put out a sign saying ‘no coherent thoughts beyond this point’ and the stuff he found himself thinking now didn’t make any sense to him at all. It was a seemingly random stream of words that didn’t fit together at all. Something like ‘pretty…soft boy…run…RUN…marry…HIDE…HIDE RIGHT NOW…eyelashes…freckles…EVACUATE THE PREMISES…’

This wasn’t good at all. Under his leather gloves his hands were all sweaty and every time Lance looked at him he felt like he was about to choke. He was just so… pretty. It was unfair. It caught Keith off guard. He wasn’t used to this. He was a mess and it made him so incredibly uncomfortable. Like the loser he was he kept staring at his coffee and as soon as Lance left the table to get his order he dug out his phone.

(4:11pm): **SHIRO HELP**

(4:12pm): **COME ON, LOOK AT YOUR DAMN PHONE!!!**

(4:12pm): **NOW!!!!!!!!!**

(4:13pm): **I’M DYING**

There was no reply. Keith was almost out of his chair when he managed to stop himself. Running away really was the most appealing thing his brain could come up with right now, but then again…you don’t meet the person you’ve been waiting for basically your whole life and then just take off. At least he was still capable of recognizing that instinct as a bad one. Maybe there was hope for him after all. He was about to text Shiro a billion more cries for help when Lance put down a cup and a little bag on the table and sat back down. He opened the bag and held it in front of Keith.

“I got you one, too. Didn’t know what you like so I just went with chocolate.” Keith inspected the contents of the bag and then slowly took the chocolate donut meant for him.

“It’s fine, thanks,” he managed to say and Lance replied with a snort.

“It should actually be you buying me donuts as an apology for all the years of emo music I had to endure.”

“It wasn’t even that bad…”

“Really? ‘Cause I kept playlists so can you actually say without lying that there won’t be a ton of My Chemical Romance if I searched through them again?”

Keith was woken from his daze and about to defend his music taste loudly when he saw the smile plastered on Lance’s face. It made him look even prettier. Keith didn’t remember what he wanted to say so he stuck out his tongue at him instead… and instantly regretted it. What twenty-year-old does that. Keith was ready to accept death.

Lance didn’t seem to have noticed his crisis and took a sip from his cup, promptly followed by a yelp. "JODER, ¡MALDITA SEA!"

"Tranquilo, no es culpa suya." Keith chuckled. He was having a mild stroke because Lance not only cursed but he cursed IN SPANISH.

Lance stopped fanning his burnt tongue mid-air and smiled brightly. “You speak Spanish?” Keith shrugged awkwardly.

“I took some classes. You listened to Spanish and English stuff so I figured maybe you only speak Spanish and just like to listen to English music. Thought I’d best come prepared,” he took a sip from his own cup. “Plus I wanted to know what that song you sang to me is about.” Lance just stared at him with his mouth slightly open for a few seconds when Keith suddenly found the sugar dispenser on the table very fascinating to look at. Lance finally cleared his throat.

“That’s, ummm… that’s really cool.” He gave Keith who had made the mistake to look up again a quick lopsided grin before lifting his cup and pointing at it. “Hot chocolate, by the way. I’m not really a fan of coffee.” Keith couldn’t help but give a small laugh.

“Dude, I’m barely even a person ‘til I’ve had the strongest stuff they serve. How do you survive?”

“Unhealthily excessive amounts of sugar. It’s an addiction. I would be lying if I said I was trying to change anything about it,” Lance said with a completely straight face. Keith raised an eyebrow questioningly. Lance certainly didn’t look like a sugar addict. More like a green smoothies kind of person that works out 3 hours a day. Lance’s voice pulled him out of his trance. He definitely hadn’t been checking out Lance’s arm muscles just now. Nope.

“No, I’m serious. Hunk, my best friend and roommate,” he explained, “once put a padlock on the cupboard we keep candy in…I managed a day before I got a bolt cutter. I’m gonna die young.” He shrugged and took a big bite out of his donut. Keith tried to hide his probably too big smile and reached for his phone that was still lying on the table.

“I’m somehow glad you are friends with Hunk,” he said while wondering about the dozen of text messages and missed calls his phone was showing him. “It sounds like he’s the one who kept you alive ‘til now. Who knows maybe in a few years he’ll get you to eat a sala…OH SHIT!” His eyes had fallen on the small numbers in the corner of his phone’s display and he jumped to his feet immediately. He shoved his phone into his pocket and simultaneously tried to put on his leather jacket. Lance just looked at him in complete confusion. “Shit, I’m sorry. I’m late for work. Like, SUPER late.”

“Okay… but… you’re not gonna leave and then I never see you again, right?” Lance laughed but it sounded a little too stiff. “Because I know I can be a handful but…”

“NO! Oh my god, no! I don’t even really know you yet. Can you… give me your phone for a second. I’m gonna give you my number and then we can actually plan something like this and maybe talk some more.” Lance seemed relived and did as asked.

“Okay, yeah. Sounds good. I’ll text you, I guess.” Keith finished putting his number in and returned the phone to Lance.

“Yeah, sounds good. Sorry again. Bye Lance.”

“Bye Keith.” He was already storming out and only half heard it. It felt good to finally be able to do the running his body had craved since he had entered that coffee shop. He dug out his phone again while racing to the parking lot and finally opened his messages.

(4:15pm): Shit, Keith. I had a custuomer, sorry. What’s going on?

(4:17pm): Keith?

(4:19pm): Keith are you okay?

(4:35pm): You’re late for work. You’re never late for work!

(4:45pm): I CALLED THREE HOSPITALS WHAT DITCH ARE YOU DYING IN????

There were a lot more messages like these and also a bunch of missed calls. All from Shiro. Keith cursed under his breath.

(4:50pm): **SORRY SHIRO!** **ON MY WAY NOW**

* * *

 

 

Lance flopped down face first on the sofa and screamed into a pillow.

“This is it. My life is over. I’m gonna be alone forever, eaten by my 20 cats after I choke on a cough drop when I’m 60.” A big hand patted his head comfortingly.

“I’m sure it wasn’t even that bad,” Hunk said and sat down next to him.

“HE LITERALLY RAN FROM ME, HUNK!”

“Yeah because he was late for work.”

“Or because I totally freaked him out. I mean he doesn’t even know me and… oh my god I want to die. Hunk, be a good friend and end me now.”

“As much as I would like to inherit your galaxy backpack, not gonna happen. You’re gonna calm down and watch Star Wars with me and then in a few hours when you’re feeling a bit better you text him and ask if everything’s fine with his work.”

“But what if he doesn’t want me to text…”

“He gave you his number, didn’t he?”

“Yeah but what if it’s a fake one?”

“Gee. How could we possibly find out. Oh, I know. You could text and see who responds.”

“Don’t you go all sarcasm on me now, big guy. I’m literally dying here.“ He sighed loudly. “HE STUCK OUT HIS TONGUE AT ME HUNK! It was so cute I forgot how to breathe. I can’t do this. It’s too much!”

“Okay, sorry. I get that this is actually really stressful for you. But I mean it. I’m sure it’s fine. After all he said that he wants to meet again and talk more. That’s a good sign, trust me. And if it’s really a fake number I’m gonna find that guy and beat some sense into him.”

“No you won’t. You’re the nicest guy on earth and you don’t like to hurt people, remember?”

“True… but I would stare at him really angrily and make him feel super uncomfortable.”

“Aww, you’re a good friend.”

“Star Wars now? We can text him together later if you’re unsure what to write.” Lance pouted.

“Do we have jello?”

“Cherry and watermelon.” There was silence for a moment.

“Okay, deal.” Lance sat up and wrapped himself up in the soft blanket lying next to him. Hunk got up and walked to the kitchen to get the food when Lance called after him. “Thanks, Hunk. Really.”

He made a mental note to get Hunk a galaxy backpack for his birthday.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "JODER, ¡MALDITA SEA!" = “FUCK, DAMN IT!”  
> "Tranquilo, no es culpa suya." = “Calm down, it’s not his [the coffee’s] fault.”
> 
> So, as I was saying. I wrote more than just this. I’m currently at 4 parts and not finished with the story yet. I think I will probably be able to finish the fic with part 4 or 5. I never planned to write this much, it just happened. I really hope you guys don’t mind!  
> The next part will definitely not take as long as this one did since I basically just have to edit it a bit and then send it to my beta.
> 
> BIGGEST SHOUT-OUT EVER TO [Misha](http://beekeeper-cas.tumblr.com), my amazing friend and beta who helped me with points I wasn’t sure about and motivated me A LOT. She also provided the Spanish translations (because I sadly don’t speak a word of Spanish) and even asked her Spanish teacher for help for me. Bless you, you beautiful human being! <3
> 
> Another shout-out to [Valery_Snowflakes](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Valery_Snowflakes/pseuds/Valery_Snowflakes) for correcting the Spanish, thank you <3
> 
> If someone drew fanart for this fic I would be the happiest human on earth! Seriously, please do it! And if you do, please send me a link or tag me in it on tumblr <3  
> [my tumblr](http://donnarider.tumblr.com)


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **"Bold"** texts are from Keith  
>  _"italic"_ texts are from Lance  
> 

(8:11pm): _hey Lance here ;)_

(8:11pm): _did ur boss kill you?_

(8:16pm): **He was worried, first time I was late**

(8:17pm): _so u didnt get fired or anything?_

(8:19pm): **Nah, I’m the only one who knows how to reset the router**

(8:19pm): **I think he’s scared I’d run off again and leave him with double the rent**

(8:21pm): _???_

(8:23pm): **I realize I should probably mention that my boss is also my brother**

(8:24pm): _that wouldve been nice 2 knoww :3c_

(8:25pm): _so u live with ur bro / boss together??_

(8:28pm): **Yes, it’s not that weird**

(8:29pm): _didnt say that ;)_

(8:31pm): _whats that like?_

(8:36pm): _sry I didnt want 2 be noisyy ;((_

(8:37pm): **It’s fine, he’s pretty chill**

(8:37pm): **You’re not being noisy**

_(8:38pm): ^w^_

* * *

 

 

„Pidgeeee, I need a favour!” Lance ran towards his two best friends who just arrived on campus and threw his books on the ground. He rubbed his face against Pidge’s shoulder like a cat and made soft whining noises

“I’m not cutting my favorite lecture for you Lance.”

“But I have two free periods. TWO, Pidge! I’m gonna die of boredom. Do you really want to be responsible for that?” He gave them the best puppy eyes he could manage.

“Not my problem. You could always go back to sleep, it’s like 11:30. Or go read a book or something.” He gasped dramatically at the cold response from his friend and clasped his hand over his heart.

“You wound me!” He slouched his shoulders and let out a deep sigh. “Also I just finished the newest book from my favorite series. The next one doesn’t come out for two months.”

“Go study then.” Pidge’s voice was softer now. They knew that Lance really didn’t cope well with free time because it made his thoughts wander.

“Nah. Hunk is my study-buddy and you are stealing him so how am I supposed-“

“Pidge isn’t stealing me, Lance. We just have the same lecture,” Hunk interrupted him.

“… but Huuuunk-“

“I’m not cutting for you either.”

Lance groaned while Hunk patted his shoulder apologetically.

“Hmpf.”

“Dude, you know that we love you! But finals are just around the corner.” Hunk reminded him with a warm expression on his face.

“Yeah, yeah, I get it.”

They entered the university building and Pidge chugged their still half full coffee cup before tossing it over their shoulder into the nearby bin, without even having to look. They noticed that Lance was still bummed out, so they punched his arm lightly as an encouragement.

“Why don’t you go to Planet Altea? Say hi to Allura and Coran, or something.” Lance thought about it for a second before he scrunched his nose.

“I don’t want to go there alone. They already think I’m an antisocial stress eater with zero cooking skills.”

“You could go with Keith and maybe continue your talk.”

“I don’t know. Do you really think he wants to spend time with me… it’s been only a day.”

“Stop putting yourself down, of course he wants to. We’re talking soulmate here. Just text him, you big baby.” Pidge rolled their eyes and then giggled.

“Call me that again, tiny spawn of Satan.”

“Love you too, Lance,” Pidge said and smiled at him brightly before they turned around and entered the lecture hall.

“They are right, Lance. Ask him if he wants to grab lunch. You can do it.” Hunk squeezed his hand reassuringly before he followed Pidge. Lance stared after them for a while and fumbled with his hands. He finally let out a defeated sigh and took out his phone.

 

(11:45am): h _ey keith u free rn?_

He stared at his phone screen nervously and chewed his lower lip. He had started walking around campus aimlessly without noticing. Some students were giving him confused glances but he managed to ignore them.

(11:46am): **Yeah, what’s up?**

(11:47am): _got a free period :((_

(11:47am): _u wanna grab lunch near campus?_

(11:48am): **Hold on a sec**

Lance cursed silently. This was a bad idea. Surely Keith thought that he was annoying now, maybe he should have waited a few more days. Damn. His entire future ruined because he was, as always, too eager.  
He was about to lie down on the ground in the middle of campus when his phone vibrated in his hand saved him from his self-destructive thoughts.

(11:55am): **My bike’s in the shop rn but good news my brother said I could take his**

(11:56am): _okay cool. Planet Altea then?_

(11:56am): _wait are we talking motorcycle here??_

(11:57am): **Okay, I can be there in 15**

(11:57am): **And yes we are**

Lance had to sit down on a bench next to him. So Keith wore leather jackets, had learned Spanish for him AND had a bike. He massaged the bridge of his nose and a soft ‘fuck’ escaped his lips. He was doomed, this boy was pulling him in way too fast.

 

(12:00pm): _damn_

(12:00pm): _i mean nice_

(12:00pm): _verry nice_

 

* * *

 

 

Lance handed Allura the menu back and smiled at her while she took Keith’s as well.

“Ah, wait.” The waitress turned around and came back to their table, raising her eyebrow at Lance.

“Do you take your tea like normal people do today or the way _you_ always drink it?”

“My way, please and thank you.” He winked at her and then turned his attention back to Keith, who looked generally confused.  
“What exactly is _your_ way?”

“Four and a half teaspoons sugar, one tablespoon honey and just a little bit of almond milk to top it off.”

Keith huffed in disgust and scrunched his nose. “Heathen.”  
Lance laughed and waved him off.

 

Planet Altea was like his second home since he spend most of his time there studying and eating, especially during finals. He was on a first name base with Allura and the strange but friendly cook Coran. They never judged him when he dragged his tired body in and ate quietly in his favorite corner, not even saying hello sometimes. They got it. One time he actually fell asleep over his half eaten pizza and when he woke up they had put a blanket on him. He loved the small restaurant and its space design.

The ceiling was painted with galaxies in various different colors and football sized planets were dangling from it. Lance was forever thankful to Coran and Allura that they had made an actual effort and arranged the planets in the correct order. In the corner next to the counter stood a creepy old astronaut statue that Lance had lovingly named Blumfump while pulling an especially bad all-nighter.

 

 “So…” Keith started. “What is your subject at college?” Lance squirmed in his seat.

“At the risk of coming across as a giant nerd…Astronomy.”

“Really?” Keith quirked his eyebrows in surprise. Lance fumbled with the tablecloth.

“Yeah, I know it’s-“

“That’s cool!” Keith interrupted him and gave him a small smile.           

 “I uhhh… you think so?” Lance stammered, too distracted by how pretty Keith looked when he smiled.

“Yeah, I’ve always loved that kind of stuff. What do you wanna do with it when you’re done?”

“Ummm. It’s a bit of a cliché but I always wanted to work for NASA. I know it’s really hard to get in but I’m still gonna try.”

Keith nodded. “I mean … if you really really want it and you work hard for it, I don’t see why it shouldn’t work out.” He smiled sheepishly at Lance.

“Yeah, I guess…” Lance smiled back. “So, umm. What about you? What exactly is it you do?”

 “I work at a workshop and we specialize in bikes. It’s Shiro’s but we basically run the thing together.”

 “Shiro’s your brother, right?”

“Yes. Well, it’s sort of a long story I guess.”

Lance tilted his head questioningly. “Huh?”

“Shiro isn’t my biological brother. He kind of … took me in?” Keith tugged at his gloves nervously.  “I wasn’t … it was like … things were-“

“You don’t have to finish that story, you can tell me another time.”

Lance smiled at him warmly. He reached out for Keith’s hands over the table and tried to stop him from fidgeting. Keith stared at their joined hands and blushed lightly. In that moment Allura walked over to serve them their drinks. When Lance noticed he quickly moved his hands away but couldn’t keep the blush from creeping onto his cheeks as well.

“Don’t let him trick you into trying this stuff, it’s nasty.” The waitress remarked and put down Lance’s tea in front of him.

“Don’t worry, I won’t.” Keith shook his head in disgust.

 

 “So I don’t want to intrude but umm…back when we were sixteen, that umm…”

Keith nodded. “Yah. My parents. It was a car crash.”

“I’m sorry.”

Keith usually hated when people said that. Not that it would change anything. They just say it because it’s expected of them. They had no idea what it felt like, what they were even pretending to be sorry for. It was different with Lance though. If anyone understood it was him. It was him who had shared Keith’s pain on the day of the funeral and so many days after that. It was him who had comforted him at night.

“It’s okay. I mean…of course it’s not great but I’m doing better.”

Lance smiled at him. “I can tell.”

Keith just smiled back.

 

 “What about you? There were so many birthday and wedding songs, you must have a big family.”

“Oh god, you have no idea. I’ve got a younger sister, two older sisters and an older brother. My brother is married and has three children so I also have two nephews and a niece. And don’t even get me started on the cousins. We would be sitting here for a week.”

“Sounds nice… and stressful?”

Lance smiled excitedly. “It is. I mean the house is always full and it’s always loud. I was so glad when I left for college because I finally had some peace and quiet and didn’t have to watch any of the little ones. But to be honest… I miss it so much.”

“You don’t get to see them often?” Keith tilted his head to the side and watched Lance closely.

“Once or twice a year. But we skype a lot. My youngest nephew is starting to walk and it’s honestly so adorable.” Keith couldn’t help but smile warmly. He could imagine Lance playing with his nephews and nieces perfectly. He was definitely the kind of guy who was good with children and who loved them as much as they loved him.

 

Allura returned to their table with their food. Lance suspected that she had waited until now because she had noticed that they were deep in conversation. She smiled at Lance and winked before she left the table.

Lance wished she hadn’t because he could feel warmth creep up his cheeks and wondered what shade of red exactly his face had turned. Allura obviously thought they were on a date. Well they sort of were, weren’t they? Lance knit his brow. What exactly was it they were having here? A meetup as friends or an actual date? Did Keith think it was a date? _Oh god_ , what if he didn’t but he thought that Lance did? This wasn’t good. His thoughts were not going in a safe direction.

That’s when Allura turned on the music.

It was some kind of sappy romance song. Keith looked at him for a second before looking over to Allura who was very obviously smiling in his and Lance’s direction. To make things even more awkward she tried to give Lance a subtle thumbs up that Keith obviously saw. Lance wanted to die. His brain was on auto-pilot and when Keith looked at him again he just smiled at him awkwardly out of reflex. Keith returned the smile before looking to the side, obviously being uncomfortable.

That’s when Lance felt it. Fear. Followed by a sort of numbness and then a strong feeling of isolation. He felt like there were too many emotions boiling inside of him at once. Lance knew that none of these were his own emotions but it was confusing him greatly. It all happened in seconds but it was so intense that it gave Lance goosebumps.

He couldn’t understand what just happened. What had scared Keith so much? What had made him feel like running again? Because judging by the way he was eyeing the exit right now, Lance was pretty sure that that was all he was thinking about now.

He gestured for Allura to turn of the music immediately and she did after giving him a surprised look. Lance paused for a second. The song… A damn love song. Maybe this was going too fast for Keith’s liking. Or maybe… he wasn’t even interested in Lance in that way…

Lance swallowed hard. “Umm, listen…”

Keith turned his head and looked at him again. Lance couldn’t read anything on his face, he had closed himself off completely.

“I know there’s a lot of expectations and pressure and stuff with the whole soulmate thing-” It was almost not noticeable but by the way his jaw tensed, Lance was sure that Keith was clenching his teeth, “but that doesn’t have to mean anything, okay?”

This earned him a questioning look. “I mean… take my friend Pidge. They have this soulmate called Rover who’s really cool and all…but they’re both not really interested in dates and stuff… sooo, they’re just friends. I mean sure being soulmates equals having some sort of deep emotional bond but so does friendship, right? So, just… don’t sweat it okay? We… could just be friends too… No pressure.”

 

Keith searched his face for a moment before his jaw relaxed and he gave a small smile.

“Okay, yeah. Friends sounds good to me.”

Lance sighed relieved and returned the smile. “Okay, great. So friends it is?”

 

“For now.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please don’t hate me for how this chapter ends, there’s still a long way to go and to anyone freaking out rn… I only ever write sappy, romantic happy ends, so don’t worry!
> 
> Again a BIG SHOUT-OUT TO [Misha](http://alteanmoonchild.tumblr.com) my awesome beta and friend who helped me SOO MUCH with this chapter and makes writing so much more fun <3 She sat down with me FOR HOURS and the chapter is so much better now ♥♥♥
> 
> Thank you all so much for reading, your kudos and your wonderful comments. Your feedback makes me incredibly happy ^-^
> 
> If you have any questions, feedback or just want to say hi send me an ask on [my tumblr](http://donnarider.tumblr.com)
> 
> If you want to know why I took so long to update or want to read about some fun things that happend while writing this check out [this tumblr post](http://donnarider.tumblr.com/post/163606001950/some-random-facts-and-rl-shit)
> 
> If someone drew fanart for this fic I would be the happiest human on earth! Seriously! I don’t care if it’s stick-figures, I will love you! If you do, please tag me and/or send me a link ♥


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **"Bold"** texts are from Keith  
>  _"italic"_ texts are from Lance

„Wow, that’s… rough?“

„Yes it is! I mean… I meant what I said. I just thought he would...”

“Say that he wants to be more than friends?”

“Yeah…” Lance put his head on the table they were studying at. The library was quiet and Lance had a hard time keeping his voice down while telling Hunk about his horrible not-date date.

“So how did the rest of the da…what happened after that?”

“Well, I was dying on the inside and pretended everything was fine on the outside. So, the usual.”

“Lance!”

Lance sighed and leaned back on his chair. The library’s ceiling suddenly seemed very fascinating to him. “We talked about stuff like favourite movies and such. I asked him about his bike. I had to leave for my seminar and he said he’d text me.”

“Well that doesn’t sound too bad,” Hunk decided and squeezed Lance’s shoulder supportively. “Maybe he just needs some time?”

 “And what do I do if he doesn’t? I thought I’d be fine with being just friends but-,” he waved his hands around in a helpless motion. “I was basically doomed when he told me to be nice to my coffee in Spanish. I can’t just NOT crush on him now, you know. And that sucks… big time.”

Hunk smiled sympathetically at him and continued to flip through the book in front of him. “Just take it slow. Take a break for a few days and then invite him to do something and see what it feels like then. He’ll either change his mind or you could just bring me and Pidge along to make the friends thing easier. Maybe that’ll help?”

 “Hmm. Yeah, maybe.”

Hunk closed his book and got up. “You up for visiting Pidge and Matt? I don’t think we’re gonna get anything done here right now. Also I think Matt finally got that video game you wanted to play so badly.”

“Nooo, Hunk. You wanted to study. I didn’t mean to distract you, I’m just gonna-“

“It’s fine, Lance. I can’t concentrate anyways. And you helped me so much with my last essay, I think I can go a day without studying.”

Lance smiled at him and got to his feet as well. “Okay. But I swear I’ll be back to normal tomorrow and then we’re gonna take a look at the stuff from Iverson’s physics lecture.” Hunk groaned loudly and made Lance laugh with his desperate expression. “I know, I know. But we both have to get better at that stuff.” He stood behind Hunk and made a gesture over his shoulder like he wanted to show Hunk a beautiful landscape.

“NASA, dude. NASA.”

“Ugh, you’re right. But Matt and Pidge now. My brain needs a break.”

Lance swung his backpack over his shoulder. “Maybe I get one of Pidge’s hugs. I love Pidge’s hugs.”

Hunk beside him nodded. “Everyone does, man. They’re the best.”

* * *

 

_**Wednesday** _

(3:15am): _WTF DUDE? ???_

(3:17am): **I KNOW SORRY! Its our stupid neighbors having a party…**

(3:18am): _AT T HIS HOU R???_

(3:18am): _pls kill them for me_

(3:20am): **I would but prison isnt as appealing to me as you might think**

(3:21am): _So ur bad boy attitude knows boundaries? ;)_

(3:22am): **Dont mock me Im too tired for this**

(3:24am): _Yeh I can feel that_

(3:24am): _u really dont deal well without ur beauty sleep_

(3:25am): **Sorry :( And no, I really dont**

 

(3:31am): _KEEEEEEITHH do smth!!!!_

(3:32am): _I have a test tomorrow !!_

(3:34am): _OM G IT STOPPED_

(3:35am): _Keith?_

(3:35am): _did u kill them?_

(3:36am): **maybe**

(3:36am): _KE ITH!_

(3:37am): **I slipped an anonymous note under their door that I would kill their cat if they didnt turn off the music immediately…**

(3:38am): _O M G thats cruel_

(3:38am): _u dont threaten peoples pets_

(3:38am): _NOT COOL!_

(3:39am): **chill, I was joking. It said Id call the cops on them**

(3:40am): _Oh okay good hope ur not just saying that_

(3:40am): _Also thankk_

(3:41am): **no problem. Good night, Lance**

(3:43am): **Lance?**

 

(7:36am): _SORRY FELL ASLEEP!_

(7:37am): _Have fun at work today :)_

* * *

 

_**Friday** _

 

(4:12pm): **why**

(4:25pm): _what? u dont like it? ;)_

(4:28pm): **no**

(4:29pm): _oh come on! The queen is my best study motivation!_

(4:30pm): **please just stop**

(4:32pm): _KEITH! YOU INSULT BEYONCÉ YOU INSULT ME_

(4:33pm): **Can’t you study to something normal**

(4:35pm): _Normal normal or you normal?_

(4:36pm): **I dont care. Just no more beyoncé please. It’s been hours**

(4:39pm): **Lance?**

 

(4:42pm): **really?**

(4:42pm): **Evanescence? That’s mature…**

(4:43pm): _WAKE ME UP INSIDE_

(4:43pm): _WAKE ME UP INSIIIDE_

(4:45pm): **I hate you**

(4:46pm): _No u dont :)_

(4:47pm): **STOP THIS MADNESS!**

(4:48pm): _Hunk says if you come to a college thing with us tomorrow, he’ll stop me for you_

(4:50pm): **What kind of thing?**

(4:51pm): _dunno, Hunk wont say, but its really good apparently_

(4:53pm): **OKAY DEAL NOW PLEASE STOP**

(4:54pm): _Party-pooper_

(4:56pm): **Tell Hunk I love him**

* * *

 

 

Keith got off his bike, took off his helmet and unzipped his leather jacket. He headed towards the university building with mixed feelings about what awaited him. He had fought with himself about coming today but eventually the curious side of him had won. Keith wanted to see what Hunk had planned for them and also even if it scared him to admit it…he missed Lance.

Logically he knew that it did not make any sense. They hardly knew each other. But emotionally he just… missed him. He sighed and blinked against the bright sunlight. He lifted his hand to shield his eyes against it and bumped into someone.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to-“

“Don’t sweat it. All good here.” A friendly voice interrupted him. The tall boy in front of him looked him over and tilted his head to the side. „Hey, are you Keith by any chance?”

Keith nodded. “The one and only.”

“Oh, great! I’m Hunk.“ Keith took the big hand he was offered and returned the welcoming smile. When Hunk gestured for them to move out of the sun and stand in the tall building’s shadow Keith followed him thankfully.

“Nice to meet you. Thanks for saving me yesterday by the way.”

“Oh, no problem. Lance can get like that sometimes when he’s stressed. He didn’t mean anything by it. You know… finals and all. He’s a bit on edge around this time of the year.”

“No, I get it. NASA is a big thing, who wouldn’t freak out, right?”

Hunk gave a nervous laugh. “Yah, I guess. So umm, Lance had to pick up our friend Pidge, they should be here-“

“Exactly now.” Lance’s voice interrupted them. He stopped next to Hunk and let Pidge whom he had been carrying just now slip off his back.

“Hey, Keith. This is Pidge. They use they pronouns. I guess you already know Hunk by now.” Lance smiled at him and clapped Hunk on the back.

Keith nodded and raised his hand in greeting at Pidge. Immediately he regretted the awkward gesture and lowered his hand quickly.

 “What’s up butter cup.” Pidge replied with a grin completely ignoring Keith’s weird behavior, who in return just raised an eyebrow at their choice of words.

“Lance, why did you carry Pidge here? Did you take ‘pick them up’ literally again?” Hunk asked with his hands on his hips.

“They paid me two dollars.”

Pidge shrugged. “I didn’t want to walk. It’s too early.”

“It’s almost noon, Pidge.” Hunk said while shaking his head but there was a visible smile on his lips.

“Exactly. Way too early.”

“I feel you, Pidge.” Keith threw in. “I had three coffees before I got here.”

Pidge yawned and stretched their arms over their head. “Good thinking. I only had one and I feel dead inside.”

“So, Hunk. What is this thing? Why are we here?” Lance asked and absently patted Pidge’s head while they leaned against him, eyes closed and repeatedly yawning.

“We are here, because today…” Hunk made a dramatic pause, “They are having a lecture about space for family and friends of students and-“

“AHHH STAR CEILING?” Lance interrupted Hunk excited while bouncing up and down, Hunk just smiled and nodded.

“Yep, Star ceiling.”

“What exactly is star ceiling?” Keith asked confused. Judging from Lance’s reaction this had to be the best thing in the entire universe.

“It’s only the best thing ever, dude,” Lance started to explain while taking Keith’s arm and pulling him in the direction of a big building.

“They only do this once or twice a year when they have family day for the freshmen and around finals for the really stressed out students so they don’t go all homicidal and stuff.”  
They entered the lecture hall and Lance directed them to a row in the back. “It’s basically just a short lecture about space and planets and what we do here at college but at the end they turn off the lights and project stars on the ceiling and walls. Dude…it’s the most beautiful thing ever. It will change you!” He gestured for Keith to sit down in one of the empty seats and sat next to him.

Hunk took the seat on Keith’s other side and Pidge sat next to Lance. It seemed like they were just in time because a man holding a mic entered the small stage. From the corner of his eyes Keith saw Pidge leaning over to Lance and whispering something into his ear. A moment later Lance bent forward so that Hunk and Keith could both hear him.

“Sorry guys, we’re gonna get Pidge more coffee. They are literally about to murder someone. We’ll be back in a minute.” With that they both left the room and Keith was alone with Hunk, which he didn’t mind that much. They had only exchanged a few sentences but Keith already liked the guy.

The man on the stage started talking about the importance of astronomy and explained the different subjects they were teaching. Unfortunately he had a really boring and monotone voice and Keith immediately zoned out. Thank God Hunk was there to keep him entertained.

“I know this stuff isn’t really interesting, especially not when he’s talking,” Hunk pointed in the direction of the stage. “But it’s really worth it. Lance didn’t exaggerate…well maybe a little… but it actually is crazy beautiful.”

“So you three all study astronomy?” Keith asked. This was his opportunity to learn a bit more about Lance and his friends without this nervous feeling he got around his soulmate. Hunk somehow managed to create an atmosphere around him that immediately made Keith feel comfortable.

“Yeah. It was actually Lance who got me into this stuff when we were younger. We met Pidge here on our first day. They are this crazy genius and got into college early. They are only sixteen but way ahead of most of the students here. Turned out they and their brother Matt live in the same building as me and Lance so we hung with them a couple of times and now we’re all basically besties for life.”

“Space nerds unite,” Keith said with a smile.

“Haha, yeah. Basically.”

“So… do you and Pidge wanna get into NASA too or is that only Lance?” Keith checked the stage for a second but the guy was still talking about boring stuff and Keith noticed that a few other people in the audience had started quiet conversations.

“Well Pidge is as good as in, let’s be real. Me… well. Of course NASA is the dream for almost everyone at this university and I would be thrilled… but I’m not as set as Lance if that makes sense. I feel like I could work anywhere as long as I’m close to my friends.” Hunk shrugged and knitted his brows in deep thought before he cleared his throat.

“Lance is working really hard for it though. You have no idea how many scholarships he had to apply for before he finally got a foot in. Didn’t stop him though.” He smiled and Keith could feel how proud he was of his friend. “You know, the first year was rough. He failed an important test two times and was sure they were gonna kick his ass but he studied harder than all of us and now he’s always in the top 5.”

“Wow. That’s really impressive,” Keith heard himself say and immediately wanted to slap himself. _Way to sound like a high school fangirl, Kogane. Can we please think before we speak, brain?!_

“Yeah it is.” Hunk sighed, unfazed by Keith’s inner distress. “It’s also really hard to watch sometimes though…”

Keith raised an eyebrow at him.

“Not the part where he’s top of the class, no. I mean how he gets there. You can’t imagine how many all-nighters the boy pulls during finals and he always pushes himself to get better. I mean it’s great that he’s improving but sometimes I wish he would allow himself a break.” He stiffened and gave a quick laugh. “I’m talking too much again, aren’t I. Sorry, this must be a weird first impression.”

Keith didn’t say anything for a while and chewed on his lower lip. “Is it really that bad? I mean… I haven’t noticed anything and finals are just around the corner right?” He thought back to the few times he’d seen Lance. He had always looked cheery and well… relaxed.

Hunk seemed to be pondering over his answer for a while. That’s when they heard the door behind them open slowly and Lance and Pidge slipped back into the room, Pidge holding a coffee cup in each hand. Hunk leaned over a bit and whispered just before the other two sat down. “Look at his eyes, he thinks we don’t notice…”

Keith had no idea what he meant by that and was staring at a spot on the floor absently when Lance waved his hand in front of his face to get him out of his trance. “Keith, buddy, my man. They’re about to start, don’t pass out on me now!”

Keith blushed a little and sat up straighter. “Yeah, sorry. Not passing out. Now, let’s see your space magic thing. Hope it’s as good as you made it sound.”

The boy next to him grinned from ear to ear. “Better.”

 

The crowd around them applauded loudly. Apparently the speech part was over and somebody dimmed the lights, making everyone go silent. It was now completely dark in the hall. Keith could feel his palms getting sweaty. Why was this taking so long? He swallowed hard.

He whispered, almost inaudible “Lance?” but in this exact moment they turned on the projectors and surprised _ahhhhs_ and _ohhhs_ could be heard through the entire room.

Keith threw his head back so quickly he almost hit it on his seat’s backrest.

Lance’s words hadn’t prepared him for what he was seeing now at all. It was truly just… beautiful. Thousands of little stars were dancing on the ceiling and the floor and just everywhere. He knew he was sitting in a boring lecture hall and he felt incredibly stupid for even thinking so but for a moment he really felt like he was in space. His heartbeat sped up and his eyes wander around the entire room so quickly he was almost getting sick.

Keith was trying to take it all in before it stopped. The stars danced around his fingertips as he raised his hand in front of his face and watched. He wasn’t even questioning how the whole thing worked it was just too… too everything. In a good way.

“Sooo, did I promise too much?” Lance suddenly whispered next to his ear.

Keith just shook his head and then turned it to smile at him. “No, you didn’t. This is great! Thanks for inviting me to this.” Lance smiled at him and then quickly turned his head to the ceiling again. Neither of them mentioned that it had actually been Hunk who invited Keith.

Keith was still staring at Lance’s face from the corner of his eyes, watching the stars being projected onto his skin and their reflections in his eyes. He looked so beautiful like this, it made Keith’s head spin. He wanted to say something, to tell Lance how pretty he was but he bit his tongue instead.  
_Just friends_ he reminded himself.

That’s when he remembered Hunk’s words from earlier and looked at Lance’s eyes more closely. What was he supposed to see? The long eyelashes? The small freckles underneath them? The well blended but thick layer of… concealer? Something clicked in his brain. Hunk had mentioned that Lance wasn’t sleeping enough and pushing too hard. Of course he and many others were unable to tell if they didn’t know what to look for. Lance had covered up his dark circles almost perfectly. Almost… Keith turned his gaze to the ceiling again and frowned. Why was he pretending to be fine? It was normal to be tired around finals wasn’t it? Why was he trying to hide it?

“Ladies and gentlemen, I’m afraid we have to end this now since our time is up,” a voice sounded from the front of the room. “Thank you all for coming and enjoy the rest of your day on campus.” They turned off the projectors and disappointment could be heard all around. Some classical song started to play and people started to shift but the lights were still out. Keith dug his nails into his palm and tried to breathe evenly. _It’s fine_ , he tried to tell himself. _They’re gonna turn them back on every second._ Only they didn’t.

“Ladies and gentlemen, it appears we’re having some trouble back here. We’re sure everything will be fixed soon,” the voice echoed again. “Always a bit hard to find the light switch in the dark.” The voice said and gave a fake laugh. Some parents laughed as well. Keith didn’t. He gulped and pressed deeper into his seat.

He could feel Lance stir in the dark next to him and a hand touching his shoulder. “Keith? Are you okay?” Before Keith could even think of something to respond with the lights were finally turned back on. Keith let out a very deep breath he hadn’t noticed he was holding until now. He quickly unclenched his hands and turned his head to give Lance a small smile.

“All good, yes. I’m a bit sad it was over so quickly though.”

Lance looked at him questioningly for a second longer before he returned the smile. “Right? I wish they would do this more often!”

The group got up and headed out before the mass of people in the hall could block the aisles. The bright sunlight blinded Keith for a moment when they walked outside and he held up his helmet to shield his eyes. Someone walked into him from behind and he quickly turned around to apologize for stopping in the doorway but it was Lance he was looking at. An elderly woman complained about them being in her way and they stepped aside and walked a few feet to get away from the mass.

“Sorry for bumping into you,” Lance started, “It’s just,” he pointed at the helmet in Keith’s hand. “I didn’t notice before because I was so excited about the star thing but… did you bring your bike?” Hunk listened to their conversation and laughed looking at Lance now. Keith didn’t exactly understand what he thought was so funny and turned to Pidge for help but they were just quietly smiling at the whole scene.

“Ummm, yes? It’s how I got here. I don’t have a car, soo…” Keith shrugged a little lost.

“Awesome! I mean great. I mean...,” Lance scratched his head. “Can I see it?”

“Uhh, sure. I parked right over there.” Keith pointed over his shoulder. Lance didn’t even wait for the others. He was already on his way to the parking lot, almost running. When the others caught up with him he was inspecting Keith’s bike and admiring the details of the machine by almost touching it with his nose.

Hunk and Pidge seemed kind of impressed too and Hunk slapped Keith’s shoulder. “Sweet ride, Keith!” He joined Lance in walking around the bike to get a better look. “Lance mentioned you work at a workshop. Did you build this yourself?”

Keith nodded and then realised that Hunk wasn’t looking at him so he couldn’t see. “Yah, I did. It was the first project I did without Shiro’s help. Took me a while to find all the parts. I could get a better bike if I wanted but I’m kind of sentimental I guess.”

Lance nodded. “No I get it. It’s a bit like it’s your child, right? I mean… you made her.”

Keith smiled. “Yeah. I guess.”

Pidge gave a fake cough to get everyone’s attention and pointed at the bike. “If you’re finished drooling over that can we go get some food please?”

“That?” Keith repeated in a fake hurt tone.

“They’re secretly loving this more than Lance and me. You should see the stuff they build. We should visit you at your shop and just leave Pidge there for a few hours. They’d have the time of their life.” Hunk chuckled at the expression on Pidge’s face after his revelation.

 

“Speaking of food though,” Lance looked at Keith and tilted his head, “We thought about grabbing a bite at Planet Altea. You in?”

Keith considered for a moment. He could spend some more time with them and get to know them better. He probably should. Shiro would tell him to… but he also really wanted to go home. The light incident had seriously freaked him out even if he didn’t want to show it. He’d rather calm down at home, alone, where he could stop pretending and no one would see what a mess he really was after such a small thing.

“Sorry, I need to leave. Shiro wants to visit an old friend of his and he’s dragging me along.” _Lie._ Shiro never dragged him anywhere Keith didn’t want to go. Apart of from that Shiro wasn’t even home right now.

Lance chewed his lower lip. “Ohh. Okay. We’ll text then?” The disappointed look on his face made Keith feel bad instantly.

“Yes definitely. It was really great. Thank you all for taking me.” _Let me leave let me go._

Pidge and Hunk said goodbye and they watched Keith take off quickly. Lance waved one last time before he was out of sight, but Keith didn’t turn around to see it.

 

Usually driving calmed him down but he felt himself get more anxious with every mile. He was glad he could finally take off the helmet when he arrived at his and Shiro’s place because he could breathe more freely instantly. He put the bike in the garage, unlocked the front door and took the elevator up to their floor. After hastily unlocking the front door and locking it after himself again, he immediately kicked off his boots and headed for his bedroom.  

He’d learned a few breathing techniques during his never ending counseling sessions and was really glad about that right now. After some minutes of leaning against his door he got his breathing under control. His thoughts however where still spinning, so he put his favourite playlist on shuffle and flopped down on his bed.

After a couple of songs Keith took out his phone to ask Shiro when he would be home and noticed he had gotten a few messages.

 

(2:17pm): _Hey, u ok?_

(2:18pm): _Getting kind of an anxious vibe over here?!_

(2:20): _Also thats an awful lot of emo music for someone who insists hes not emo ;)_

_Shit. Sometimes he forgot the soulmate connection was a thing._

(2:33pm): **Sorry! Yes I’m good**

There was an immediate response.

(2:33pm): _U sure? Doesnt feel like it_

(2:35pm): **Idk**

(2:36pm): **Maybe not**

(2:36pm): _do you wanna talk? I can call u_

Keith’s whole body tensed. Was he ready for that? Should he lie, maybe say he was tired and wanted to nap or something? Should he tell the truth? He frowned.

(2:37pm): **I’m not… good at phone calls**

(2:37pm): _Np u can just listen and I’ll do the talkin_

(2:39pm): _that’d be ok?_

Keith swallowed. Shiro probably wouldn’t be home for a while and he really needed to talk to _someone._ The question was if Lance was safe to talk to? Would it overstep the friendship line? Why could things never be easy…

 

(2:42pm): **yes, ok**

 

**[Incoming call: Lance McClain]**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah after 500 years I finally updated. I could explain at length why it took my so long but it comes down to this: I was stressed, I was depressed, I’m sorry but now it’s finally here! Hooray!
> 
> As always a big THANK YOU to [Misha](http://alteanmoonchild.tumblr.com) for being my beta and for reading every new draft and honestly telling me when what I wrote isn’t good so I can improve and grow. I love us working together on this <3
> 
> Thank you to all of you for reading! <3
> 
> Me an my friends finally cosplayed Voltron so if you wanna see me as Shiro and my awesome friends as Keith, Lance and Coran head over to [my instagram.](https://www.instagram.com/donna_rider/)
> 
> Do you know what keeps me motivated when I so often doubt my writing and don’t know how to continue? Getting feedback! So please leave kudos and comments, share this fic or even draw fanart. Whenever I read an “I love this” comment it makes me incredible happy!  
> Also one of my goals is to someday have someone draw fanart for something wrote soo… if you wanna do that I’ll love you. Also please tag me if you do.


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